Strawberry milk is the kid’s favorites in the world. They likely tend to drink these colorful sweet tasty milk rather than white plain milk. However, do they know that strawberry milk does notc ontain any real strawberry? Do they know that the color is from the food coloring additive and flavor is from the natural and artificial flavor food additive not from the real fruit? Shopping is easy when most food came from farms. Now, factory-made foods have made chemical additives a significant part of our diet. Food additives are substances added to food to preserve flavor or improve its taste and appearance. With the advent of processed foods in the second half of the twentieth century, many more additives have been introduced, of both natural and artificial origin. Today’s people do not want their food just to taste good; moreover, it has to look good as well. Food producers use all kinds of chemical artifice to make food appear fresher or more attractive than it really is in order to attract customers. People eat food without knowing that it contains variety of chemical substances in it. Moreover, most people may not be able to pronounce the names of many of these chemicals, and do not know what that is. However, they still want to know and need to know what the chemicals do and which ones are safe and which are poorly tested or possibly dangerous. Some of the food additives are banned due to the safety problem such as causing cancer and obesity etc. This paper is to inform people about what the food additive is, what they do and what they cause. Eating with knowledge and eating with ignorance is huge different. People need know what they are really eating. Function of the food additives Food additives play an important part in people’s food supply. If people want to know more about a particular food additive, then look at the ingredient list on the food label where they will find all the food additives’ name, function and number. However, they do not know what they are really is, because the name is unfamiliar and confusing. Then, what is food additives used for? There are good reasons for the use of food additives. They can be used to:
lImprove the taste or appearance of a processed food. For example, beeswax - glazing agent (901) is used to coat apples to improve their appearance. lImprove the keeping quality or stability of a food. For example, sorbitol - humectant (420) - may be added to mixed dried fruit to maintain the moisture level and softness of the fruit. lPreserve food when this is the most practical way of extending its storage life. For example, sulphur dioxide - preservative (220) - is added to some meat products such as sausage meat to prevent microbial growth. (food standards Australia and New Zealand)
The function of additives and their action is complex. “For example, certain food products such as salt, dried-powder mixes tend to absorb moisture from the atmosphere, which causes them to clump or cake. Anti-caking agents prevent this from occurring and allow the food product to remain free running (The Canadian Encyclopedia).” When people buy commercial food products, many people can easily find the words like citric acids, or sodium nitrates from the ingredients but they do not know what they are. What do they do?
Examples of the most common functions
Acids / Acidity regulators / Alkalis help to maintain a constant acid level in food. This is important for taste, as well as to influence how other substances in the food function. For example, an acidified food can retard the growth of some micro-organisms. Ex. Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidants retard or prevent the oxidative deterioration of foods. For example, in fats and oils, rancid flavors can develop when they are exposed to oxygen. Antioxidants prevent this from happening. Ex. Alpha Tocopherol (Vitamin E)
Colorings add or restore color to foods. For example, icing mixture is colored to make it more attractive on cakes. Ex. Blue 1, Red 3
Emulsifiers facilitate or maintain oil and water from separating into layers. For example, emulsifiers may be used in margarine to prevent oil forming a layer on top of the margarine. Ex. Brominated Vegetable Oil
Flavor enhancers enhance the existing taste and/or odor of a food. Ex. Artificial Flavor,Diacetyl (Butter flavor), Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
Preservatives retard or prevent the deterioration of food by micro-organisms, and thus prevent spoilage of foods. Ex. Sodium Nitrite or Sodium Nitrate, Sodium Benzoate
Sweeteners replace the sweetness normal provided by sugars in foods without contributing significantly to their available energy. Ex. Aspartame, Saccharin, Sorbitol (food standards Australia and New Zealand )
Some of the food additives are tested as good, and most additives are safe and some even increase the nutritional value of the food. For example, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), also known as Sodium Ascorbate is an antioxidant agent, nutrient and color stabilizer. It can be found in cereals, fruit drinks and cured meats. The function of Ascorbic acid is to helps maintain the red color of cured meat and prevents the formation of nitrosamines, which promote cancer. It prevents color resistance and flavor by reacting with unwanted oxygen. Moreover, it has a nutritional value as well. Large amounts of ascorbic acid may slightly reduce the severity of colds (Food Safety and Food additives).
However, there are some food additives that are to be avoided such as sodium nitrate, saccharin, caffeine, and artificial flavoring and colorings etc. They are used primarily in foods of low nutritional value. Some of the food additives are unhealthy and sometimes cause serious problems. For example, many foods such as from sausage to strawberry milk contain food colorings. Most artificial colorings are synthetic chemicals that do not occur in nature. The European Food Safety Authority announces that a red food coloring found in some sausages and beef burgers might cause cancer (EFSA). “Researchers discovered that the dye, known as Red 2G converts to a substance called aniline once inside the body. Aniline has been found to cause tumors in laboratory mice. The EFSA has now recommended food producers stop using the dye (Triggs, John)”. “In addition to the cancer problems colorings cause hyperactivity in some sensitive children. The use of coloring usually indicates that fruit or other natural ingredient has not been used (Food Safety Food Additives).” How it made
Safety Issues
With the increasing use of processed foods since the 19th century, there has been a great increase in the use of food additives of varying levels of safety. As mentioned above, some food additives show serious problems. Some additives may pose a risk and needs to be better tested, so people try to avoid. Or something is unsafe in amounts consumed or is very poorly tested and not worth any risk. For example, Sodium Nitrate is a preservative, coloring flavoring in order to prevent the deterioration of food by micro-organisms, and thus prevent spoilage of foods and it stabilizes the red color in cured meat and gives a characteristic flavor. It is in the bacon, ham, luncheon meats, smoked fish etc. However, several studies have linked consumption of cured meat and nitrite by children, pregnant women and adults with various types of cancer (Food Safety and Food Additives). What about MSG? People can easily find “NO MSG” sign product at the supermarket. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)is a sodium salt of the non-essential amino glutamic acid. It is used as a food additive and is commonly marketed as a flavor enhancer. “MSG has a unique taste which has been described as being separate from the basic tastes of sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. However, as a food ingredient MSG enhances the flavor of meat or poultry, as well as increases the total taste intensity of food (Yamaguchi, S. and A. Kimizuka)”. By addition of MSG, it brings out the flavor in many foods, so food becomes more rich and full of taste. Therefore, “the use of MSG allows companies to reduce the amount of real ingredients in their foods, such as chicken in chicken soup (Food Safety Food Additives)”. This is for the economic factor. It cuts their cost. However, the important fact about MSG is that people reacts towards this additives. “Reactions include headache, nausea, weakness, and burning sensation in the back of neck and forearms. Some people complain of wheezing, changes in heart rate, and difficulty breathing (Food Safety Food Additives).” Moreover, once people constantly taste MSG, their appetites tend to be addictive toward it. Here are some of the additives that should be avoided:
lACESULFAME POTASSIUM - Artificial sweetener, causing cancer lARTIFICIAL COLORINGS: BLUE 1, BLUE 2,GREEN 3, RED 3, YELLOW 6 – Coloring, cancer risk and causing tumor lASPARTAME - Artificial sweetener, cause cancer or neurological problems such as dizziness or hallucinations. lPARTIALLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OIL (Trans Fat) - Fat, oil, shortening, causing heart attack disease lPOTASSIUM BROMATE - Flour improver, risk of causer lSACCHARIN -Artificial sweetener, cause cancer (Food safety Food Additives)
Conclusion
Food additives have been and continue to be a controversial subject. Many of current food products contain a lot of different kinds of food additives. Some products would not be possibly produced without them. Food additives plays huge role in people’s food market. It improves tastes, color, preservation and appearance. Some of it even dedicates to the nutritional values as well. However, some of it also reveals serious problems. Food is what people every day eat, without it, people cannot live. Therefore, what they eat should be concerned carefully, and monitored and improved. Eating with knowledge and eating with ignorance is huge different. People need know what they are really eating.
Yamaguchi, S. and A. Kimizuka (1979), "Psychometric Studies on the Taste of Monosodium Glutamate," In: Filer, L.J., et al. (eds.) Glutamic Acid: Advances in Biochemistry and Physiology, Raven Press, New York, pp. 35-54
Taliaferro, Patricia. (June 1995) Monosodium glutamate and the Chinese Restaurant Syndrome: a review of food additive safety. JJournal of Environmental Health, vol. 57, pp. 8-12,
Food Additives
Introduction
Strawberry milk is the kid’s favorites in the world. They likely tend to drink these colorful sweet tasty milk rather than white plain milk. However, do they know that strawberry milk does notc ontain any real strawberry? Do they know that the color is from the food coloring additive and flavor is from the natural and artificial flavor food additive not from the real fruit? Shopping is easy when most food came from farms. Now, factory-made foods have made chemical additives a significant part of our diet. Food additives are substances added to food to preserve flavor or improve its taste and appearance. With the advent of processed foods in the second half of the twentieth century, many more additives have been introduced, of both natural and artificial origin. Today’s people do not want their food just to taste good; moreover, it has to look good as well. Food producers use all kinds of chemical artifice to make food appear fresher or more attractive than it really is in order to attract customers. People eat food without knowing that it contains variety of chemical substances in it. Moreover, most people may not be able to pronounce the names of many of these chemicals, and do not know what that is. However, they still want to know and need to know what the chemicals do and which ones are safe and which are poorly tested or possibly dangerous. Some of the food additives are banned due to the safety problem such as causing cancer and obesity etc. This paper is to inform people about what the food additive is, what they do and what they cause. Eating with knowledge and eating with ignorance is huge different. People need know what they are really eating.
Function of the food additives
Food additives play an important part in people’s food supply. If people want to know more about a particular food additive, then look at the ingredient list on the food label where they will find all the food additives’ name, function and number. However, they do not know what they are really is, because the name is unfamiliar and confusing. Then, what is food additives used for? There are good reasons for the use of food additives. They can be used to:
l Improve the taste or appearance of a processed food. For example, beeswax - glazing agent (901) is used to coat apples to improve their appearance.
l Improve the keeping quality or stability of a food. For example, sorbitol - humectant (420) - may be added to mixed dried fruit to maintain the moisture level and softness of the fruit.
l Preserve food when this is the most practical way of extending its storage life. For example, sulphur dioxide - preservative (220) - is added to some meat products such as sausage meat to prevent microbial growth. (food standards Australia and New Zealand)
The function of additives and their action is complex. “For example, certain food products such as salt, dried-powder mixes tend to absorb moisture from the atmosphere, which causes them to clump or cake. Anti-caking agents prevent this from occurring and allow the food product to remain free running (The Canadian Encyclopedia).” When people buy commercial food products, many people can easily find the words like citric acids, or sodium nitrates from the ingredients but they do not know what they are. What do they do?
Examples of the most common functions
Some of the food additives are tested as good, and most additives are safe and some even increase the nutritional value of the food. For example, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), also known as Sodium Ascorbate is an antioxidant agent, nutrient and color stabilizer. It can be found in cereals, fruit drinks and cured meats. The function of Ascorbic acid is to helps maintain the red color of cured meat and prevents the formation of nitrosamines, which promote cancer. It prevents color resistance and flavor by reacting with unwanted oxygen. Moreover, it has a nutritional value as well. Large amounts of ascorbic acid may slightly reduce the severity of colds (Food Safety and Food additives).
However, there are some food additives that are to be avoided such as sodium nitrate, saccharin, caffeine, and artificial flavoring and colorings etc. They are used primarily in foods of low nutritional value. Some of the food additives are unhealthy and sometimes cause serious problems. For example, many foods such as from sausage to strawberry milk contain food colorings. Most artificial colorings are synthetic chemicals that do not occur in nature. The European Food Safety Authority announces that a red food coloring found in some sausages and beef burgers might cause cancer (EFSA). “Researchers discovered that the dye, known as Red 2G converts to a substance called aniline once inside the body. Aniline has been found to cause tumors in laboratory mice. The EFSA has now recommended food producers stop using the dye (Triggs, John)”. “In addition to the cancer problems colorings cause hyperactivity in some sensitive children. The use of coloring usually indicates that fruit or other natural ingredient has not been used (Food Safety Food Additives).”
How it made
Safety Issues
With the increasing use of processed foods since the 19th century, there has been a great increase in the use of food additives of varying levels of safety. As mentioned above, some food additives show serious problems. Some additives may pose a risk and needs to be better tested, so people try to avoid. Or something is unsafe in amounts consumed or is very poorly tested and not worth any risk. For example, Sodium Nitrate is a preservative, coloring flavoring in order to prevent the deterioration of food by micro-organisms, and thus prevent spoilage of foods and it stabilizes the red color in cured meat and gives a characteristic flavor. It is in the bacon, ham, luncheon meats, smoked fish etc. However, several studies have linked consumption of cured meat and nitrite by children, pregnant women and adults with various types of cancer (Food Safety and Food Additives). What about MSG? People can easily find “NO MSG” sign product at the supermarket. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is a sodium salt of the non-essential amino glutamic acid. It is used as a food additive and is commonly marketed as a flavor enhancer. “MSG has a unique taste which has been described as being separate from the basic tastes of sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. However, as a food ingredient MSG enhances the flavor of meat or poultry, as well as increases the total taste intensity of food (Yamaguchi, S. and A. Kimizuka)”. By addition of MSG, it brings out the flavor in many foods, so food becomes more rich and full of taste. Therefore, “the use of MSG allows companies to reduce the amount of real ingredients in their foods, such as chicken in chicken soup (Food Safety Food Additives)”. This is for the economic factor. It cuts their cost. However, the important fact about MSG is that people reacts towards this additives. “Reactions include headache, nausea, weakness, and burning sensation in the back of neck and forearms. Some people complain of wheezing, changes in heart rate, and difficulty breathing (Food Safety Food Additives).” Moreover, once people constantly taste MSG, their appetites tend to be addictive toward it. Here are some of the additives that should be avoided:
l ACESULFAME POTASSIUM - Artificial sweetener, causing cancer
l ARTIFICIAL COLORINGS: BLUE 1, BLUE 2,GREEN 3, RED 3, YELLOW 6 – Coloring, cancer risk and causing tumor
l ASPARTAME - Artificial sweetener, cause cancer or neurological problems such as dizziness or hallucinations.
l PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OIL (Trans Fat) - Fat, oil, shortening, causing heart attack disease
l POTASSIUM BROMATE - Flour improver, risk of causer
l SACCHARIN - Artificial sweetener, cause cancer (Food safety Food Additives)
Conclusion
Food additives have been and continue to be a controversial subject. Many of current food products contain a lot of different kinds of food additives. Some products would not be possibly produced without them. Food additives plays huge role in people’s food market. It improves tastes, color, preservation and appearance. Some of it even dedicates to the nutritional values as well. However, some of it also reveals serious problems. Food is what people every day eat, without it, people cannot live. Therefore, what they eat should be concerned carefully, and monitored and improved. Eating with knowledge and eating with ignorance is huge different. People need know what they are really eating.
Bibliography
Articles and website
Food Safety Food Additive http://www.cspinet.org/reports/chemcuisine.htm
Yamaguchi, S. and A. Kimizuka (1979), "Psychometric Studies on the Taste of Monosodium Glutamate," In: Filer, L.J., et al. (eds.) Glutamic Acid: Advances in Biochemistry and Physiology, Raven Press, New York, pp. 35-54
GUNNER, S.W. The Canadian Encyclopedia http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1SEC898632
Trigg, J. (2007, July 17). Food Trade Juicy Secrets. Daily Express. http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/13788/Food-trade-s-juicy-secrets
Food Additive. Food Standards Australia New Zealand. http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/foodmatters/foodadditives.cfm
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) (2007, July 16) Scientific panels and unit opinion
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/EFSA/efsa_locale-1178620753812_home.htm
Taliaferro, Patricia. (June 1995) Monosodium glutamate and the Chinese Restaurant Syndrome: a review of food additive safety. J Journal of Environmental Health, vol. 57, pp. 8-12,
Pictures
http://ecochildsplay.com/files/2008/02/aspartame_products.jpg
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http://www.theonion.com/content/files/images/onion_imagearticle1214.jpg
Video clips
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2SnFlud0Z4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z69N3zwJUIE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0DbcUUO-hI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6T6C87mtcjw
By Kang Tae Kyung
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